Thursday, August 08, 2013

Tips for A Safe Summer Road Trip

It's getting close to the end of summer and maybe you are wanting to take one last family vacation. If you going to traveling by car here are a couple things to consider.

Packing
I'm sure you want to bring everything your family will possibly want on your trip, but consider cutting back.

Do you really need to back 8 days worth of clothes or can you simply wash a load of laundry at your rental house or hotel? Could you pick up some of your groceries once you get to your destination instead of trying to pack it all?

We've all seen the cars that have so much stuff packed that other drivers are nervous that stuff will fall off their car and land in the road. Or maybe they just have stuff piled so high in the back of their car that there is no real way the driver can see out the back.

Make sure you can see out all your windows, see all your mirrors and everything is properly secured to vehicle.

Know Your Route
GPS units are really nice, but they aren't always right. Make sure you have some printed directions just to be safe. Even better would be to have an alternate route in case major traffic delays or road closures. When in doubt pull over and ask for directions.

My hubby and I like to use our CB radio because the nice tractor trailer drivers usually know why there are traffic back-ups and how to avoid them.

Stay Alert
Keep your eyes on the road. Hand your cell phones over to a passenger. Let them be in charge of texting or answering calls. You can easily tell them what to type or say.

If you are going to be traveling for a long time make sure you take plenty of breaks. Switch drivers or get out and stretch your legs. Pull over at a rest stop and take a nap if you need to, but don't drive drowsy. It's not just your life that depends on it - think about the person or family you may hit if you fall asleep at the wheel.

Keep Kids Busy
No parent wants to have a kid have to deal with a crying baby or whining toddler for hours in a car. Have plenty of stuff for your little one keep occupied and happy. If you want more tips-for-traveling-with-kids click here.

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Welcome to Helping Moms At Home!

Thanks for stopping by! You will find a wide variety of topics on this blog because let's face it moms deal with a lot of stuff.

My name is Kim and I'm a stay at home mom to 3 and wife to one amazing guy. I absolutely love printables forms, journaling, and taking photos. I'm also a bit organizationally obsessed and I actually do enjoy cleaning - I'm sick I know :-P.